Apparatus for filling of a downstream apparatus

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an apparatus for filling a downstream apparatus with rod-shaped articles, in particular a packing machine, comprising a filler head having a feed element for transporting a mass flow made up of articles, wherein the feed element runs into a shaft in the region of an opening, and having a store which is constructed to be variable for compensating for the difference between the inflow and outflow of the mass flow inside the filler head, which apparatus is characterized by a store which is arranged at least in part ahead of the opening in the transport direction T of the mass flow.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority of German Patent Application No. 102004 062 638.3 filed Dec. 21, 2004, the subject matter of which isincorporated herein by reference. The disclosure of all U.S. and foreignpatents and patent applications mentioned below are also incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an apparatus for filling a downstreamapparatus, in particular a packing machine, with rod-shaped articles,comprising a filler head having a feed element for transporting a massflow made up of articles, wherein in the region of an opening the feedelement runs into a shaft, as well as a store which is of variableconstruction for compensating the difference between the inflow andoutflow of the mass flow inside the filler head.

Such apparatuses are used in particular in the tobacco-processingindustry. These apparatuses serve, for example, for supplying a packingmachine with rod-shaped products, such as, for example, cigarettes,tobacco strands, filters or the like. By means of the feed device ausually multi-layered mass flow of a particular height is transportedinto the filler head. The articles or the mass flow formed therefrom areconveyed by means of the feed device into the region of an opening. Thearticles are fed to the packing machine via a shaft adjoining the feeddevice. In other words a column of articles builds up in the shaft.

In the event, for example, that the downstream packing machine canaccept fewer articles than are fed to it the “excess” articles can beaccommodated up to a certain volume by the store. In known devices ofsaid type the store is disposed in the area of the shaft, that is behindthe opening in the transport direction T of the mass flow. Such deviceshave the disadvantage that the weight of the articles located in thestore acts completely on the shaft. In other words a change of volume inthe store acts on the shaft as a result of which, on the one hand, thepacking machine or a packer magazine associated with the packing machinebecomes loaded. On the other hand, a change in volume results in a loadon the articles located in the shaft due to the weight of the articlesstacked thereover. In addition to the weight, the restoring force of thestore limits triggered by the limits on the volume of the store alsoacts on the articles.

From U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,094 an apparatus is known with the features ofthe preamble of claim 1. With this apparatus, an actuator is required toalter the volume of the store.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a simpleapparatus which ensures relief of the load on the articles located inthe shaft.

This task is solved by an apparatus of the type identified at the outsetin that the store is arranged at least in part ahead of the opening inthe transport direction T of the mass flow, whereby the store is boundedby a belt, whose length, which is in contact with the mass flow, isvariable to alter the volume of the store by means of conveying pressureof the mass flow against a predeterminable tensile force introduced intothe belt. Due to this construction according to the invention, on theone hand, it is achieved that at least a major part of the weight of thearticles in the store is taken up by the feed element. As a result, boththe packing machine or the packer magazine thereof together with thearticles located in the shaft have the load on them considerablyrelieved and hence are handled gently. On the other hand, by means ofthe embodiment according to the invention an alteration of the volume ofthe store can be brought about by the mass flow itself, in particularwithout the use of additional drive means, actuators or the like.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the store is arrangedcompletely outside the shaft as a result of which the loading alreadydescribed is reduced still further.

Advantageously, the store is bounded or formed by a belt which isconstructed to be of variable height for varying the volume of thestore. By this means a volume change which is particularly protective ofthe article is achievable in the store. Put in a different way, tochange the volume of the store only a small force need be exerted on thearticles.

A particularly preferred embodiment is characterized in that at leastone section of the belt located ahead of the opening into the shaft andabove the lower conveying means is of deflectable construction. By meansof this design it is, on the hand, ensured that in the event of fewerarticles being taken off by the packing machine than are supplied theweight of the articles flowing behind is moved upwards. On the otherhand, it is advantageous that due to the deflectable belt or thedeflectable section of the belt the mass flow flowing thereunder iscovered. This means that the mass flow exhibits no open surfaces so thatshifting or alignment of the articles relative to one another isprevented. As a general rule the articles are conveyed in the transportdirection T transverse to their longitudinal extension. Articles which,due to external influences, lack of guidance or the like, come out ofthis original transport position so that, for example, theirlongitudinal extension points in the transport direction, are alsoreferred to as “non-aligned articles”. Such “non-aligned articles” areprevented by the covering provided by the belt.

Preferably, the belt is an endless conveyor. Due to this dynamicconstruction of the store it is ensured that the flow of the stream ofarticles is permanently supported and there are no regions inside thestore in which it is possible for articles to linger. In other words,inside the store all articles are always in motion so that permanentreplacement of articles is ensured. By this means the quality of thearticles is always preserved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantageous and preferred characteristics and embodiments emergefrom the subsidiary claims and the description. Particularly preferredembodiments are explained in more detail with reference to the attacheddrawings. The drawings show:

FIG. 1 a side-view of a schematic illustration of a first embodiment ofthe apparatus;

FIG. 2 a side-view of a schematic illustration of another embodiment ofthe apparatus; and

FIG. 3 a side-view of a schematic illustration of another embodiment ofthe apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The apparatuses illustrated serve for filling what are known as packerswith rod-shaped products.

FIG. 1 shows a filler head 10 as an apparatus for filling a packingmachine (which is not illustrated). The filler head 10 substantiallycomprises a feed element 11 for transporting a mass flow made up of alarge number of articles in the transport direction T. The mass flow isbuilt up of multiple layers. The feed element 11 possesses an opening12. The opening 12 is the point of transition from the feed element 11to a shaft 13. The shaft 13 is a space for accommodating a certainnumber of articles. The shaft 13 is of almost vertical construction sothat the articles fall or flow solely due to gravity in the direction ofthe packing machine. The filler head 10 further comprises a store 15.The store 15 is constructed to be variable. This means that the store 15is suitable for accommodating varying mass flows and enlarges ordiminishes according to the size of the mass flow. The volume of thestore 15 varies as a function of the difference between the inflow andthe outflow of the mass flow within the filler head 10.

In the transport direction T of the mass flow the store 15 is disposedat least in part ahead of the opening 12. In the embodiment shown thestore 15 is arranged completely outside the shaft 13 in the region ofthe feed element 11. In fact the store 15 itself can even be regarded asa component of the feed element 11. Details of this are describedfurther below.

The feed element 11 runs substantially transverse to the shaft 13 and isformed by a lower conveyor 16 and an upper conveyor 17. The lowerconveyor 16 is divided and possesses at least two lower belts 18 and 19.The belts 18, 19 are each of endless construction and disposed onebehind the other in the transport direction T. The conveying surfaces ofthe belts 18, 19 form a uniform support surface F for the articles orthe mass flow formed therefrom to be transported. One of the belts 18 or19 is driven directly by a motor 20. The other belt 19 or 18 can bedriven along with the first through a coupling 21. Preferably, each belt18, 19 has its own drive, wherein the drives should be controllableindependently of one another. In the embodiment shown the belt 18 of theopening 12 or forming the opening 12 is disposed behind the belt 19 inthe transport direction T. The upper conveyor 17 comprises at least oneupper belt 22 which like the belts 18, 19 is also of endlessconstruction. The upper conveyor 17 extends only over a part of thelower conveyor 16. More precisely, the belt 22 is arranged above thebelt 19 and also extends in the transport direction T only over a partof the belt 19.

The vertical spacing between the belts 18, 19, on the one hand, and thebelt 22, on the other hand, depends on the desired or required height ofthe mass flow. The store 15 is constructed as an extension of the upperbelt 22. The store 15 is bounded or formed by a belt 23. The belt 23 isconstructed to be of variable height for varying the volume of the store15. In other words the store 15 is formed by the deflectability of thebelt 23. A section 24 of the belt 23 is deflectable in the embodimentshown. This section 24 is ahead of the opening 12 or together with thebelt 18 forms the latter and is arranged above the lower belts 18, 19.In the state when the store 15 is empty (illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 bysolid lines) the section 24 is arranged as an extension of the upperbelt 22 and flush with the latter and runs essentially parallel to thelower belts 18, 19. Accordingly, when not exercising a storage functionthe section 24 is as it were a component of the feed element 11.

The deflectable section 24 is “fixed” at two points. More precisely, thesection is fastened at one end, that is to say a free end of the belt23, directly behind the upper belt 23 in the transport direction T. Theother end of the section 24 is guided in the region of the opening 12 bymeans of a pulley 25. The belt 23 is led as an extension of the section24 around another pulley 26. At the free end of the belt 23 means fortensioning the belt 23 are provided. In one embodiment the means takethe form of a weight 27. Other customary means for tensioning may alsobe employed. By means of the arrangement described the section 24 isvariable in length. This means that the “active” length of the section24, that is the length which can come into contact with the mass flow,is variable.

Another embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is comparable in essential aspectswith the previously described filler head 10 so that there is no needfor a fresh description and the same reference numerals are used for thesame parts. The filler head 10 according to FIG. 2, however, shows astore 15 differing in that the belt 23 or the deflectable section 24 isfixed at one end, that is to say a free end of the belt 23, in theregion of the opening 12. The other end of the section 24 is guided inthe region of a pulley 28 arranged in the transport direction T directlybehind the upper belt 22. The belt 23 as an extension of the section 24is led around further pulleys 29, 30. In turn, means for tensioning thebelt 23 are provided at the free end of the belt 23. The means may takethe form of a weight 31 or alternatively, for example, be constructed asa motor 32 having an adjustable torque. The embodiment with the motor 32shows the advantage that the torque levels can readily be altered bymeans of a control system. By this means the load acting through thebelt 23 or the section 24 on the mass flow is variable at little costand adaptable to the prevailing requirements.

The embodiment according to FIG. 3 is of similar construction to thefiller head 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2. In contrast, however, with the stores15 in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which the store 15 or the belt 23 has to bereferred to as static due to the fastening at one end, the store is ofdynamic construction. Namely, the belt 23 is an endless conveyor whichis led around a plurality of pulleys 33, 34, 35. One pulley 33 isarranged in the region of the opening 12 and one pulley 34 is arrangeddirectly behind the upper belt 22 in the transport direction T. Betweenthese two pulleys 33, 34 is constructed the section 24 whose “active”length is variable by deflection. The belt 23 is driven preferably by anelectric motor and in the same direction as the belts 18, 19 and 22 andled via further pulleys 35. The means for tensioning the belt 23 is, byway of example, a combination of a tension regulator arm and spring. Forthis purpose, a tension regulator arm 36, having a pulley 37 on its freeend around which the belt 23 is led, and a spring 38 are functionallyconnected. Alternatively, a motor-winch combination may also beemployed.

Of course, all of the filler heads 10 and embodiments may also beemployed for feeding any other products to downstream apparatuses,devices or the like. All of the embodiments may additionally have astore bounding device 14. In FIG. 3 a mechanical bounding device isillustrated by way of example. This mechanical bounding device, whichmay be constructed by way of example as a sheet metal plate or the like,is fastened in stationary manner to the housing, support, frame or byother means and prevents the deflectable section 24 from colliding withcomponents located thereabove such as, for example, pulleys 35, 36, 37or the passive section of the belt 23. The store bounding device 14preferably covers the entire region of the store 15.

The principle of operation of the apparatus 10 is explained in moredetail below. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1 the packing machineor the like is supplied by a mass flow in that the mass flow istransported by means of the feed element 11 through the opening 12 intothe shaft 13. If the mass flow transported into the shaft 13 is greaterthan can be taken up by the packing machine the belt 23 or the section24 is deflected upwardly (see dotted lines). In this case, thecrosshatched area identifies the storage volume. At the same time theweight 27 moves upwards. As it does so the belt 23 or the section 24executes a relative movement counter to the transport direction T. Atall times the section 24 covers the mass flow from above so thatdisplacement of the articles from a transport position, in which thearticles are located with their longitudinal extension transverse to thetransport direction, into a position in which the articles lie in thetransport direction T is prevented. If more articles are now taken upthan are supplied, the volume of the store 15 reduces, and the weight 27again moves downwards. The active length of the section 24 diminishes.In order to carry out the change in volume of the store 15 almost noforce need be exerted on the articles. The weight 27 has to be chosenaccordingly.

The principle of operation of the filler head 10 according to FIG. 2 isbasically similar to that just described. On deflecting the section 24,however, a relative movement in the transport direction T is obtained.

In the filler head 10 according to FIG. 3 the transport of the mass flowis supported by the all-round belt 23.

In the event that an apparatus upstream of the feed element 11 is out ofoperation, i.e. it supplies no further articles, the packing machine cancontinue to be supplied with articles for a short transition period bycontrolling the belt 18. This is of importance particularly for what areknown as “lagging packers” which still require a certain number ofproducts for running the machine down.

It is common to all of the embodiments that the volume of the store 15can be determined through the position of the weights 27, 31, e.g. bymeans of excursion or spacing measurement or measurement of the movementof the pulleys by means of rotation transmitters. This information canbe fed to a control system controlling the filling level of the fillerheads 10.

The invention has been described in detail with respect to preferredembodiments, and it will now be apparent from the foregoing to thoseskilled in the art, that changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the invention in its broader aspects, and the invention,therefore, as defined in the appended claims, is intended to cover allsuch changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit of theinvention.

1. Apparatus for filling a downstream apparatus with rod-shapedarticles, in particular a packing machine, comprising a filler headhaving a feed element for transporting a mass flow made up of articles,wherein the feed element runs into a shaft in the region of an opening,and having a store which is constructed to be variable for compensatingfor the difference between the inflow and outflow of the mass flowinside the filler head, characterized in that the store is arranged atleast in part ahead of the opening in the transport direction T of themass flow, whereby the store is bounded by a belt, whose length, whichis in contact with the mass flow, is variable to alter the volume of thestore by means of conveying pressure of the mass flow against apredeterminable tensile force introduced into the belt.
 2. Apparatusaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the store is arrangedcompletely outside the region of the shaft.
 3. Apparatus according toclaim 1, characterized in that the feed element runs essentiallyhorizontally and is made up of a lower conveyor and an upper conveyor,wherein the upper conveyor extends over only a part of the lowerconveyor.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that thelower conveyor consists of at least two lower belts arranged one behindthe other in the transport direction T of the articles or the mass flowand the upper conveyor consists of at least one upper belt, wherein thebelt of the upper conveyor is arranged above the front belt in thetransport direction T of the articles in the lower conveyor. 5.Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the belt isconstructed to be variable in height for altering the volume of thestore.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that at leastone section of the belt located ahead of the opening into the shaft andabove the lower conveyor is of deflectable construction.
 7. Apparatusaccording to claim 6, characterized in that in the state when the storeis empty the deflectable section of the belt as an extension of theupper belt is arranged flush with the latter and runs essentiallyparallel to the lower belts.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 6,characterized in that the deflectable section is fastened at one enddirectly behind the upper belt in the transport direction T and at theother end is guided in the region of the opening by means of a pulley.9. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the belt as anextension of the deflectable section is led around at least one otherpulley and is provided at its free end with means for tensioning thebelt.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that thedeflectable section is fastened at one end in the region of the openingand at the other end is guided by means of a pulley directly behind theupper belt in the transport direction T.
 11. Apparatus according toclaim 10, characterized in that the belt as an extension of thedeflectable section is led around at least two further pulleys and atits free end is provided with means for tensioning the belt. 12.Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the means fortensioning are a weight, a motor having an adjustable torque or thelike.
 13. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the beltis an endless conveyor.
 14. Apparatus according to claim 13,characterized in that the belt is guided by means of a plurality ofrollers of which for forming the deflectable section one pulley isarranged directly behind the upper belt in the transport direction T andone pulley is arranged in the region of the opening.
 15. Apparatusaccording to claim 13, characterized in that the belt is driven. 16.Apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the belt isassociated with means for tensioning.
 17. Apparatus according to claim16, characterized in that the means are a combination of a tensionregulator arm and spring, a motor-winch combination or the like. 18.Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the volume of thestore is determinable by means of suitable measurement means.